The Beer for Everyone Project: Innis & Gunn Rum Barrel-Aged Blood Red

Wednesday

That’s one of the thoughts that was going through my head in this week’s Beer for Everyone Project. I gave my cohort Nicole Simmons an Innis & Gunn Rum Barrel-Aged Blood Red.

Every week, Nicole has been trying new beers with various levels of distaste. However, I did not know what she thought about liquor since she never drinks.

I’m a fan of rum barrel-aged beers but you don’t see a lot of them. When I gave this to Nicole, I thought the spiciness and sweetness of the rum and the oak could maybe add something that Nicole may like. Also, it may have given me ideas going forward.

I was wrong.

Here is what Nicole had to say:

Now I know that Norm is not trying. He gave me a beer that tastes MORE like alcohol in an effort to get me to like a beer. Me. The person who doesn’t otherwise drink alcohol. I will say, he was on point timewise. The week of Halloween, I tried Innis & Gunn’s Blood Red Beer, a “rum barrel red beer.” It was pretty red, a dark, reddish brown.

The bottle said it was going to have “an explosion of cool, spicy rum notes, vanilla and rich fruit.” Um ….

It had a strong aroma even before it was close to my nose. I did the old “three quick sniffs” test that (Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company’s General Manager)Kelsey Roth told me to do last week. At first I got caramel notes. Then I got what I call the “nasty sour smell.”

My first sip was unremarkable, but left a metallic taste ending in bitterness. I was trying to breathe while sipping and that actually made it worse, because the sour smell persisted.

There was something very different about this and I can only assume that’s the rum barrel influence. I’m not entirely sure what rum alone tastes like but I assume it was that. I did not detect the vanilla, but there was something, I’m going to say cherries, after I tasted it a couple more times. Once I got that in my head, I started to think the whole thing had a syrupy element,

like cough syrup, including the mouthfeel.

So thank you to Kelsey, now I can tell you much more specifically what I’m tasting, resulting in the same ending: I don’t like it!

Back to me:

I was toying with the idea of buying Nicole some nips of various liquors to see what she thought of them, but her hatred of the rum flavors may change that plan. Nicole is heading down south this weekend, so I’m hoping she tries a good Georgian beer. And always, look back at the past beers and to see her thoughts and give me a recommendation!!

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For beer news and info, follow Norman Miller on Twitter and Instagram @RealBeerNut or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut.